Controller.



P. E. CASE.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.2, 1908.

948,442. Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

2 SHEETBSHEET 1 Fig. 8

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6, 6% I ATTY F. E. CASE.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV,Z,1B08.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

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A TTY depressed by the hand of the o UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK E. CASE, OF SOHENEC'IADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLER.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 2, 1908.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910. Serial No. 460,612.

To all whom it mm concern:

Be it known tliat I, FRANK E. CASE, a citizen of the United States, rcsidin at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, tate of New York, have invented certain newiand useful Improvements in Controllers, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to controllers for electric motors, and is particularly applicable to controllers now extensively used in the operation of electrically driven cars. In this service the controllers are often rovided with so-callcd dead mans hand. es, the function of which is to causethe interruption of the motor circuit and sometimes, also, the application of the air brakes if the motorman, for any reason, takes his hand from the o crating handle during opera tion. A wel known formof such apparatus is set forthin the patent to Crocker, No. 872,990, dated December 3, 1907, in which thebutton on the controller handle, normally rater, during operation, when released a lows the automatic operation of suitable mechanism in the controller to cause interruption of the motor circuits and application of the air brakes,

My invention relates particularly to controllers provided with one or both of the emergency devices above mentioned, and has for its ob ect to provide a new and im roved form and arrangement of controller andle and operating mechanism for the emergency devices.

To the above end, my invention, briefly stated, com rises a handle mounted on the controller s aft and having a limited slid= ing movement thereon, said handle being operatively connected to the emergency devices.

For the purpose of illustration I have shown my invention as applied to a controller havin emergency devices constructed and arranged substantially as set forth in the patent to Crocker No. 872,990, above referred to, and as shown and described in an application filed concurrently herewith in the name of Arthur T. Cracker, Serial No. 460,614. It. is obvious, however, that my invention may equally well be used in connection with many other forms of control apparatus.

efcrring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of the upper,

portion of a controller provided with my invention, the casing being removed and the mechanism being in the osition which it assumes when the handle is released by the operator; Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, except that the handle is shown in its depressed position and the operating mechanism of the emergency devices arranged accordingly; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partly in crosssection, of the upper portion of the controller shaft and handle, the latter being shown in its upper position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the handle in its lower position; Fig. 5 is a-plan view of the hub of the controller, certain'patts thereof and the controller shaft beingshtpwn' in dotted lines; Fig. 6 is a horizontal or. ss-section through the controller approximately on the lines (i -6 of Figse band 2} Fig. 7 is another horizontal cross-section approximately on the lines 77 of Figs. 1 and 2, certain parts being omitted for the sake of clcarness; and Fig. 8 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a portion of the operating mechanism for the emergency brake controlling valve.

Referring to the drawings, the backboard of the controller is indicated at 10, the base at 11 and the top at. 12, these parts being of a well known design.-

At 13 is shown the main shaft of the controller from which the main drum may be driven through gearing or operated in any other suitable manner.

a drum 15 carrying contact segments 16 which cooperate with fin ers 17 in a well known manner. The sha t of the drum 15 extends upward through the top plate 12 and is adapted to receive a removable reversing handle 18. In order to lock the main drum of the controller when the reversing switch in its oil' position, and to prevent the reversing switch from being moved when the main controller drum is in an on position, a mechanical interlock between the rovcrser shaft and the main shaft is generally used and, in the present construction, 15 shown as comprising a pivoted dog 20, the toe of which engages with a toothed segment 21 on the shaft of the reverser, while the heel engages with a notched collar 22 fixed on the mam shaft 13, aspring 23 serving to hold the dog yieldingly in engagement with the segment. The construccircuit breakeris mounted on a shaft 25, the

upper end of which is embedded in a casting 26 pivotally mounted on the bottom of the top plate 12. This casing 26 has an outwardly extending web portion 27 which extends around the pipe 28, hereinafter referred to, this construction allowing the arts to be arranged in a compact fornn xtending from the casting 26 is an arm 29, the end of which carries a roller 30 which engages with a cam 31 secured to rotate with, but having a limited sliding movement upon the shaft 13. The cam 31 is biased in an upward direction by the s ring 32 and in its upper position is out o enga cment with the roller 30. The casting 26 a so has extending from'it an arm 34 between which auda pin extending downwardly from the top plate 12 a sprm 35 is located. This spring 35 serves to bias the circuit breaker to an open position and to hold the roller 30 in engagement with the cam 31, the construction and arrangement of these parts being similar to that of the corresponding parts in the patent above referred to. The pipe 28, which communicates with the train pipe of the air brake system, extends into thecontroller and at its end is provided with a valve 38 of well known form, shown in cross-section in Fi 8, having a valve stem 39 which projects rom the casing, said valve being biased to a closed position by means of a spring and the pressure .in he train pipe.

The mechanism by which the emergency air brake valve 38 is operated is best shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The lower end of the valve stem 39 is en aged by a member 41 pivotally connected y'links 42 and 43 with a bracket 44 secured to the back of the controller. The upper part of the member 41 is provided with an extension having a l|p45 arranged to project horizontallvout over the top of the :am 31 by which it is engaged in all angular positions of the cam. When the cam 31 is in its upper position the member 41 is forced upwardly against the valve stem 39 and the valve is opened, but when the'cam is depressedthc member 41 is allowed to drop and the valve 38 to close. A lug 46 on the member 41 en ages with a shoulder on the bracket 44 an prevents the member 41 from dropping farther than is necessary. In order to maintain the valve.

38 closed, except when the controller is in use, means is piovided, as in the case of the controller in the patent to Crockcr above referred to, for releasing the upward pressure of the valve stem when the reversing switch is in its mid-position. In the particular controller shown, this means compriscs a rod 50, the end of which engages Wllll an extension 51 on the link 42, this rod being moved longitudinally from the reversing shaft through the medium of a lever 52 pivoted at 53, one end of which is connected to the rod 50 while the other engagesa cam surface formed on the segment 21, as is clear from Figs. 7 and 8. When the revcrscr is in its mid-position the rod 50 is moved to the right and the member 41 is forced downward, thereby releasing the valve stem 39; in either on position of the reverser, however. the upward pressure of the spring 32 on the cam 31 forces the member 41 upward and tends to hold the valve 38 open and the brakes ap lied, this action being unimpeded by the r0 50.

It will be observed that the construction and mode of operation of the mechanism for the operation of the'en'iergency devices as described up to this point are substantially the same as shown in the patent to Crocker and in the (rocker application, above referred to.

I now come to the description of my new and improved form of controller handle which I- have shown as adapted to cooper ate with the particular arrangement of emergency devices above described. It will be clear, however. that my handle and its cooperating parts are in no way limited to use in connection with the particular internal construction of the controller shown.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, my handle is shown as comprising an arm 60 having a gripvt'il, said arm bein preferably integral with a hub 63 adapte to engage the top of the shaft 13 in a manncr clearly shown in the drawings. The handle may be either permanently secured to the shaft or arran ed for removal therefrom when the contro ler is not in use. The end of the shaft 13 is preferably made substantially quadrilateral in cross-section in order that the handle may be secured thereon and revented from rotation with reference to it. In a keyway on one side of the shaft 13 a key 65 is arranged for sliding movement, said key at. its lower end engaging with the top of the cam 31. This key 65 serves as a sliding connection between the cam 31 and the handle and is en ged at its upper end by a pin 66 secured in the handle as shown. The upper end of the key 65 is enlarged as shown at 67 in order to facilitate its engagement by the pin 66, and the lower end'of the key may be similarly 'enlargexl in order to provide a large engfging surface between it and the cam 31. he openin in the hub of the handle, with which the en of the shaft 13 cooperates, may be of the form shown which allows vertical sliding movement of the handle on the shaft and a slight rotary movement in a vertical plane about the pm 66. The form of this opening in the hub will be clear from Figs. 3, 4 and 5, it being understood that Fig. 3 shows the handle in its upper extreme posi-. tion of both sliding and rotar movements, while-Fig. 4 shows the handle in its extreme lower position of both movement's. On the opposite side of the shaft 13 from the key 65, a notch 69 is cut, and a lug 70, embedded in the hub 63 and secured thereto by screws 71, is arranged,.when the handle is at the lower extreme position of both its slidin and rotary movements, to coiiperate wit said notch 69, as. shown in Fig. 4. With such a construction it is .clear that sliding movement of the handle upon the shaft will effect vertical movement of the key.65 and the cam 31 and,.consequently, will regulate the operation of 'the emergency devices.

During the downward movement of the handle it is necessary for the motorman to overcome the entire upward thrust exerted by thes ring 32 on t e cam 31, but when I the han le has reached its extreme lower position the In 70 enters the notch 69 and the slight rotation of the handle in a vertical plane which is then permitted brings the lug 70 and the upper surface of the notch 69 into engagement with one another. The upward thrust of the spring 32 is now largely taken by the controller shaft at the point where the lug 70 and the notch 69 c0- operate since the handle now acts as a lever of which the fulcrum is the point at which the lug 70 and the upper face of the notch 69 cotiperate. Under this condition it is clear that the downward pressure required on the grip 61 in order to hold the handle in its lower position, is much less than the force required to force the cam 31 downward in the first place. The operator is thus relieved from pressing heavily downward upon the handle during normal 0 ration. If, however, at any timethe han le is released, the upward tendency exerted upon the cam 31 by the spring 32 will act upon the in 66,'thel'tb v rotating the handle up wardfly about the lug 70 and causing disengagement of this lu from the notch 69, thereby permitting te handle to slide upw ardly on the shaft and consequent rising of the 'ram 31 and the emergency operation of the emergency devices. In operating. the device the operator may find it is place his hand on top or near the hub of the handle when initially forcin the same downward and after the do an notch arrangeme'nt has locked to sli e his hand out along the arm,60 until he finally grasps the grip 61 which he holds during operation of the controller. It is clear, however, that the handle may be so arranged that the. whole easiest to operation may be easily accomplished by initially applying the hand'directly to the grip 61.

hile I have shown but one embodiment of m invention, I do not wish to be understoo as limiting myself thereto, since iii the following claims it is my intention to cover all other arrangements which come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States. 15,--

1. In a controller, an operating shaft, a handle mounted thereon arranged to rotate with said shaft and having a limited-sliding movement thereon, an emergency de; vice, and means for operatively connecting said handle and said emergency d'evice whereby the sliding movement of said haudle on the operating shaft operates said emergency device.

2. In a controller, an operating shaft, a handle mounted thereon arranged to rotate with'said shaft and capable of a limited sliding movement thereon, an emergency device, and a sliding connection between said handle andsaid emergency device whereby sliding movement of said handle on-:the operating shaft moves said sliding connection and operates said emergency device.

3. In a controller, an operating shaftpa handle mounted thereon arranged to rotate with said shaft and having a limited sliding movement thereon, an emergency device, an operating connection between said handle and said emergency device whereby sliding movement of saidhandle on said shaft operates said emergency device, and means for biasing said handle in an upward dihandle mounted thereon arrange to rotate with said shaft and having a limited sliding movement thereon and a limited rotary movementthereon in a plane passing through said shaft and said handle, an emerency device cotiperating with'said controler, an operative connection between said handle and said emergency device whereby sliding movement of the former causes the operation of the latter, means for biasin said handle in an upward direction, an means operative when said handle is at the shaft, a

lea

lower limit of both its slidin and rotary movements for taking, part 0 the upward thrust of said biasing means.

(i. In a controller, an operating shaft, a handle mounted thereon arranged to rotate with said shaft and having a limited sliding movement thereon and a limited rotary movement in a vertical plane, an emer ency device cooperating with said'eontrol er, a sliding connection between said handle and said emergency device, means for biasing said sliding connection and said handle in an upward direction, and means cooperating with said sliding connection and operative when the latter is at the lower limit of its movement for taking part of the upward thrust of said biasing means.

7. In a controller. an operating shaft, a handle mounted thereon arranged to rotate with said shaft and having a limited sliding movement thereon and a limited rotary movement in a vertical plane, an emergency device cooperating with said c0ntroller,,a sliding connection between said handle and said emergencv device located on one side of said operating shaft, means for biasin said sliding connection and said handle in an upward direction. and means located on the opposite side of said shaft from said sliding connection operative when said handle is at the lower limits of both its sliding and rotary movements for transferring from said handle to said shaft a part of the upward thrust of said biasing means.

8. In a controller, an operating shaft, a handle mounted thereon arranged to rotate with said shaft and having a limited sliding movement thereon and a limited rotary movement in a vertical plane, an emer ency device cooperating with said control er, a sliding key connection between said handle and said emergency device located in wheyway on one side of said operating shaft,

means for biasing said hey connection and handle in an upward direction, and a lo and notch connection between said handle and said shaft on the opposite side of said shaft from said hey connection operative when said handle is at the lower limits of both its sliding and rotary movements for transferring from said handle to said shaft :1 part of the upward thrust of said biasing means.

In witness whereof. I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of October, 1.908.

FRANK E. CASE.

\Vitnesses BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ()nrono. 

